Alloy of a Golf Club

ABSTRACT

An alloy of a golf club comprises 0.25 wt % to 1.0 wt % Si, 0.25 wt % to 1.5 wt % Mn, 2.0 wt % to 3.5 wt % Cu, 6.0 wt % to 8.0 wt % Ni, 15.5 wt % to 18.0 wt % Cr, balance iron and inevitable impurities, wherein the alloy of a golf club has austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures simultaneously.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an alloy of a golf club and, more particularly, to an alloy of a golf club that is apt to provide preferable shock-absorbing effect.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, an integral forming hosel portion of a golf club requires easy justifying a dipangle thereof, in accordance with different requirements of various users. Accordingly, conventional golf club is primary made of soft iron having lower hardness, such as materials like low-carbon steel and low-alloy steel, so as to facilitate dipangle-justifying of the hosel portion of a golf club requires. However, the soft iron has disadvantages of easily-oxidized and corrosion-irresistibility.

For improving said disadvantages, a stainless steel of SUS17-4PH is used to manufacture golf clubs, as described in Taiwan Patent No. 438610 and 460306, for the sake of achieving lower hardness and better corrosion-resistibility.

Tables 1 and 2 show mechanical properties of SUS17-4PH with and without heat-treatment respectively, wherein a heat-treatment “A” is carried out by heating at 1040° C. for 60 minutes and then cooling with nitrogen to 580° C. for 90 minutes; a heat-treatment “B” is carried out by heating at 1040° C. for 60 minutes and then cooling with nitrogen to 538° C. for 240 minutes; a heat-treatment “C” is carried out by heating at 1040° C. for 60 minutes and then cooling with nitrogen to 482° C. for 240 minutes; and a heat-treatment “D” is carried out by heating at 1040° C. for 60 minutes and then cooling with nitrogen to 482° C. for 240 minutes.

TABLE 1 Mechanical Properties of SUS17-4PH with Heat-Treatment Tensile Yield Strength Strength Elongation^(a) Hardness Materials (Ksi) (Ksi) (%) (HRC) SUS17-4PH 164 148 17 36 ^(a)Those data are obtained on samples in 2 inches length.

TABLE 2 Mechanical Properties of SUS17-4PH without Heat-Treatment Tensile Yield Hard- Strength Strength Elongation^(a) ness Heat- Materials (Ksi) (Ksi) (%) (HRC) treatment SUS17-4PH 145~160 145~155 7~14 32~37 A (casting) 160~170 150~165 6~13 33~39 B 180~195 160~180 5~11 38~44 C SUS17-4PH 185~210 170~190 5~17 40~46 D (planking) ^(a)Those data are obtained on samples in 2 inches length.

In view of Tables 1 and 2, the SUS17-4PH shows poor malleability due to less than 4.0 wt % of nickel therein. However, the SUS17-4PH has higher yield strength. In such, a golf club made from the SUS17-4PH may be difficult to justify a dipangle thereof, since the SUS17-4PH has poor malleability and higher yield strength.

A Taiwan Patent Application No. 100101186, entitled “a golf club and a manufacturing method thereof,” discloses a conventional alloy of a golf club, also named as ST-22, being consisted of 2.5 wt % to 4.0 wt % Cu, 5.0 wt % to 6.0 wt % Ni, 15 wt % to 18 wt % Cr, balance iron and inevitable impurities, wherein said alloy has a Cu/Ni ratio of 0.4 to 0.8 and has austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures simultaneously.

Through a justified Cu/Ni ratio, a hardness, tensile strength and yield strength of the conventional alloy of a golf club are all decreased. With such, golf club made of said conventional alloy will have higher corrosion-resistibility and malleability, so as to be easy to justify a dipangle thereof. However, said alloy is necessary to be further improved when it is applied to a golf club for special strike proposes, bunkering for example, in order to achieve preferably shock-absorbing effect and mechanical properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the primary objective of this invention to provide an alloy of a golf club, with a higher percent of nickel in said alloy of a golf club to promote shack-absorbing effect thereof.

The invention discloses an alloy of a golf club comprising 0.25 wt % to 1.0 wt % Si; 0.25 wt % to 1.5 wt % Mn; 2.0 wt % to 3.5 wt % Cu; 6.0 wt % to 8.0 wt % Ni; 15.5 wt % to 18.0 wt % Cr; and balance iron and inevitable impurities, wherein the alloy of a golf club has tissues in austenite phase, ferrite phase, and martensite phase.

In a preferred form shown, Ni is in a range of 6.5 wt % to 8.0 wt %.

In the preferred form shown, Si is in a range of 0.5 wt % to 1.0 wt %.

In the preferred form shown, Mn is in a range of 0.5 wt % to 1.5 wt %.

In the preferred form shown, Cu is in a range of 2.5 wt % to 3.5 wt %.

In the preferred form shown, Cr is in a range of 16.0 wt % to 17.5 wt %.

In the preferred form shown, the alloy of a golf club further comprises less than 0.08 wt % of C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a golf club in a preferable embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a microstructure schematic diagram (50×) of a golf club to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a microstructure schematic diagram (200×) of a golf club to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention discloses an alloy of a golf club which is adapted to be used in manufacturing each designed elements of a golf club. In a preferable embodiment of the present invention, it is demonstrated but not limits to use the alloy of a golf club to manufacturing into a golf club.

With reference to FIG. 1, a golf club 1 of the present embodiment comprises a body 11, a hosel portion 12, and a striking plate 13. The hosel portion 12 connects at a side of the body 11, being adapted to receive a rod (not shown in figures). The body 11 and the hosel portion 12 can be manufactured in an integral forming manner. The striking plate 13 is set at a surface of the body 11, and which is adapted to strike at a golf ball.

The alloy of a golf club in the preferable embodiment of the present invention can be used to manufacture into the body 11 and the hosel portion 12 through a step of melting, a step of adjusting particular ratios and a step of casting a club.

In the step of melting, master alloy and other materials including chromite, silicoferrite, ferromanganese, cooper and nickel are sequentially added into a furnace at a high temperature, with those materials being melted and mixed with each other therein. Precisely, said materials including silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe) are melted by the furnace at a high temperature (a high-frequency furnace for example) and further mixed with each other to provide an alloy material having carbon (C), silicon, manganese, cooper, nickel, chromium and iron at a particular ratio and phase and being capable of being used as a matrix of the body 11 and the hosel portion 12. In the present embodiment, the master alloy further comprises 0.04 wt % carbon, 0.80 wt % silicon, 1.00 wt % manganese, 2.75 wt % cooper, 6.88 wt % nickel, 17.2 wt % chromium, and 0.03 wt % phosphorous, and 0.01 wt % sulfur, beside iron. Certainly, various materials from different sources can be used to achieve said composition of iron alloy in said ratio by various needs.

Additionally, the master alloy and other materials including chromite, silicoferrite, ferromanganese, cooper and nickel are preferably added into the furnace at a high temperature in a particular sequence for melting, so that obtained melted alloy will further comprise other ingredients, such as silicon and manganese, with the obtained melted alloy having proper property. Also, melting those materials in the particular sequence can avoid precipitation presented during the melting and prevent from poor qualities of obtained body 11 and hosel portion 12 in the following step. Furthermore, said materials are preferable in a granular shape and being added into the furnace at a high temperature slowly by repeatedly adding a small amount of said materials. Thus, incompletely melting said materials caused by adding a large amount of materials at once cohering in a mass is significantly avoided. Further, dangerous holes and bubbles presenting in the furnace at a high temperature due to the mass will be also avoided.

In the step of adjusting particular ratios, ratios of said materials are adjusted to 0.25 wt % to 1.0 wt % Si, 0.25 wt % to 1.5 wt % Mn, 2.0 wt % to 3.5 wt % Cu, 6.0 wt % to 8.0 wt % Ni, 15.5 wt % to 18.0 wt % Cr, balance iron and inevitable impurities, with the inevitable impurities having less than 0.08 wt % of carbon. With such, those materials can be both in austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures simultaneously. Specifically, said materials are sequentially added into the furnace at a high temperature to obtain the melted alloy, and then, weight ratios of a sample collected from the melted alloy are measured and adjusted, ensuring said materials comprising 0.25 wt % to 1.0 wt % Si, 0.25 wt % to 1.5 wt % Mn, 2.0 wt % to 3.5 wt % Cu, 6.0 wt % to 8.0 wt % Ni, 15.5 wt % to 18.0 wt % Cr, balance iron (in a range of 65-75%) and inevitable impurities. Wherein, nickel is more preferably in a range of 6.5 wt % to 7.5 wt %, silicon is more preferable in a range of 0.5 wt % to 1.0 wt %, manganese is more preferable in a range of 0.5 wt % to 1.5 wt %, cooper is more preferable in a range of 2.5 wt % to 3.5 wt %, and chromium is more preferable in a range of 16.5 wt % to 17.5 wt % in the melted alloy. Through adjusting the melted alloy to particular composition, the melted alloy can form both austenite structures, ferrite structures and martensite structures simultaneously after cooling and solidifying. Further, through increasing a weight ratio of nickel in the melted alloy decreases a percentage of martensite structures but increases percentages of austenite and ferrite structures in the melted alloy, so that it is capable of providing preferable shock-absorbing effect.

As described above, through the preferable embodiment of the present invention, the particular materials (including iron) in the particular ratios are used to manufacture into the alloy comprising austenite, ferrite and martensite structures simultaneously, with manufactured alloy providing advantages and functions of the austenite, ferrite and martensite structures (for example, corrosion-resistibility and lower hardness of the ferrite structures, rust-resistibility and impact-resistibility of the austenite structures, and highly wear resistibility of the martensite structures). Also, in comparison with the conventional alloy, ST-22, the manufactured alloy of the present embodiment comprises a lower percentage of the martensite structures and a higher percentage of the austenite and ferrite structures, resulting in decreased hardness, promoted malleability, and promoted shock-absorbing effect in further. Accordingly, the alloy of a golf club of the preferable embodiment in the present invention not only provides preferable mechanical properties including lower hardness and higher malleability, but also achieves promoted shock-absorbing effect such like striking on a soft iron.

In the step of casting a club, the alloy is applied to precisely casting, forming the body 11 and the hosel portion 12 in predictable shapes. More specifically, after adjusting said materials in the melted alloy to the particular ratios, air and residues are removed before drawing out the melted alloy. Next, the melted alloy is directly poured into a mold, in order to manufacture into the body 11 and the hosel portion 12 (and/or striking plate 13). Thus, such manufactured golf club can directly undergoes various processes including shocking, pouring, trimming, grind, dip-justifying, and polishing without previously heat-treatment, so as to obtain finished products of wedge with an iron rod or a wood rod. Also, since the manufactured golf club is made of a matrix comprising mixed structures of austenite, ferrite and martensite, it has multi-properties including lower hardness, higher rust-resistibility, higher malleability, and higher shock-absorbing effect.

In summary, through said processes, the alloy of a golf club of the preferable embodiment in the present invention can be obtained and which comprises 0.25 wt % to 1.0 wt % Si, 0.25 wt % to 1.5 wt % Mn, 2.0 wt % to 3.5 wt % Cu, 6.0 wt % to 8.0 wt % Ni, 15.5 wt % to 18.0 wt % Cr, balance iron and inevitable impurities. The alloy of a golf club comprises austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures simultaneously, so that it has lower hardness, higher rust-resistibility, higher malleability, and higher shock-absorbing effect. In this way, a golf club made of said alloy will be easy to justify a dipangle thereof, being more preferable to be used as a golf club for special strike proposes, bunkering for example.

In Tables 3 and 4, compositions of the alloy of a golf club and the conventional alloy, ST-22, and mechanical properties thereof are listed respectively. Referring to data shown in Tables 3 and 4, it is noted that with increased weight ratio of nickel of the alloy of a golf club of the preferable embodiment in the present invention, the hardness decreases but malleability increases. Thus, said alloy of the preferable embodiment in the present invention will have preferable shock-absorbing effect, such like striking on a soft iron in practical use, in comparison with the alloy, ST-22. Accordingly, said alloy is preferably applied to manufacture a golf club for special strike proposes, bunkering for example, so as to improve striking effect of the golf club.

TABLE 3 Compositions of the Alloy of a Golf Club and ST-22 Specifications C (wt %) Si (wt %) Mn (wt %) Cu (wt %) Ni (wt %) Cr (wt %) Fe (wt %) ST-22 0.08 

0.25~1.0  0.25~1.5  2.5~4   5.0~6.0 15.0~18.0 Bal. Said alloy of a 0.08 

0.25~1.0  0.25~1.5  2.0~3.5 6.0~8.0 15.5~18.0 Bal. golf club

TABLE 4 Mechanical Properties of the Alloy of a Golf Club and the ST-22 Tensile Strength Yield Strength Elongation Hardness Alloys (ksi) (ksi) (%) (HRB) ST-22 149 77 14-20 102-108 Said alloy of 128 44 20-30 85-95 a golf club

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, microstructure schematic diagrams in 50× and 200× are provided respectively, with cast alloy of a golf club being corroded by a corrdent comprising 10 g K₃Fe(CN)₆, 10 g potassium hydroxide (KOH) in 100 ml water and then analyzed under a microscope. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the alloy of a golf club of the preferable embodiment in the present invention is a Fe—Cr—Ni alloy comprising austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures simultaneously. Therefore, said alloy will obtain advantages and function both provided from austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures, such as preferable hardness and malleability.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferable embodiments, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An alloy of a golf club comprising: 0.25 wt % to 1.0 wt % Si; 0.25 wt % to 1.5 wt % Mn; 2.0 wt % to 3.5 wt % Cu; 6.0 wt % to 8.0 wt % Ni; 15.5 wt % to 18.0 wt % Cr; and balance iron and inevitable impurities, wherein the alloy of a golf club has austenite structures, ferrite structures, and martensite structures.
 2. The alloy of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein Ni is in a range of 6.5 wt % to 8.0 wt %.
 3. The alloy of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein Si is in a range of 0.5 wt % to 1.0 wt %.
 4. The alloy of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein Mn is in a range of 0.5 wt % to 1.5 wt %.
 5. The alloy of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein Cu is in a range of 2.5 wt % to 3.5 wt %.
 6. The alloy of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein Cr is in a range of 16.0 wt % to 17.5 wt %.
 7. The alloy of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alloy of a golf club further comprises carbon being less than 0.08 wt %. 